Reinforced concrete construction.



LLS.

RElNFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

APFUCATKON FILED APR.10, 1916.

Patented Margie?, 1917.

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2 SHEETS-SHEET I H. L. WELLS.

REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED APR. T0, 1916.

Patented Mar. 2?', 1917 mgm@ HWITT L. WELLS, oF WASHINGTONQDISTRICT or COLUMBIA.

REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

To all whom z'timay concern.'

Be it knowndthat I. llnwrr'r L. VELLs,

of Washington, in the District of Columbia,`

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reinforced Concrete Con-,

struction; and I do hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it tains to make and use the same.

Heretofore in' concrete floor construction many methods and means have been emv ployed for Vthe construction of variahly spaced beams or joists for supporting the dead weight pf construction and the loads to be carried lihereby, the means employed in such construction including forms to mold the wet concrete in place, such as wood false work, terra-cotta tile with intervening spaces'forthe concrete -and permanent and removable centers of steel or com position material. In known constructions of this type expense and delay in structural work arq) occasioned by the necessity of breaking down the false work around the joists after the concrete has set and then applying metal lathing to the joists; there 1s excess dead weight to be supported in the carrying members where terra-cotta tile is used; added cost is incurred in the use of permanent centers; and in the case of removable centers diiiiculty is experienced in removing the forms from position, it being necessary to take down from below a constructed floor, and then erect the ceiling. It is the objectof my invention lto obviate these objectionable features and to provide for the formation of a simple and highly efficient floor construction with but a minimum amount f shoring and framework to support theconcrete in its initial stages of hardening, the, construction being less eX- pensive and more readily'formed than those heretofore in use under similar' conditions.

The invention is particularly adapted for use in the construction of concrete beams or joists for supporting dead weight of con- I` lstruction and the loads to be supported thereon with an undercovering or ceiling, but is equally of advantage in the formation of structures where the joists are exposed to view from below.

lin the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 a view in perspective showing the forms position with part of the spaces filled Fig. 2 is a sectional view.

1n with concrete.

Specification of Letters Patent.

apper- `Supported on the false tious filling is v to a. lesser height, as desired.

f liatcnted Mar. 2?, 1017.

Application filed April 3.0, 1316, Serial No. 90,286.

Fig. 3 is a perspective similar to Fig. 1, with the forms removed. Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the. joists showing the fioor completed. Fig. 5 is a detail.

In constructing a reinforced concrete floor after the manner ofmy invention, the usual vfalse work l is built up in -any preferred manner and forms 2 are set for the Hoor beams, the upper portions 'of these beams being formed between the mold boardsl 3. work are a series4 of spaced apart plates or boards 4, the distance between the plates being predetermined in every given case, depending on the weight to be sustained bv the joists. Where an un-I dercovering or ceilingr is to be provided, metal lathing 5 is placed on the plates with the ends of the lathing secured in any preferred manner. .Each of the plates 4 serves as a base or support for pairs of joist-forms 6 which I have shown as of channil shape with the flanges projecting, outwardly. Manifestly forms of different shape mayll be employed if desired. These joist-forms are held spaced at their tops and bottoms by strap irons having a c'cntral spacing portion 7, their ends S engaging the joist-forms. As l supporting reinforcing bars 9, such bars .bemg laid between each palr o f ]o1st-forms.

The ends of the latter fit snugly against the mold-boards 3 with the spacesbetween the latter and between the oist-forms intercommunicating, thus enabling a monolithic formation to be had of the beams and joists.

With the parts as described, the cementipoured into the spaces between thcforms. This filling may be brought up Hush with the tops of the different forms or In the formation of the joists it will be seen that the central portions of the spacing straps become embedded in the concrete and that the meshes of the metal lathing between the plate 4 and the joist-forms will be filled with the cement, thus binding the lathing to the joists. When the concretevfilling has sufficiently set the ends of the lower strap irons 9 are disengaged from the joist-forms and the ends of the top strap irons are bent out i 20 been previously other portion ofthe buildingforvfurther use. The joist-forms may be removed without detriment immediately after the conv crete has hardened,l it being apparent that 5 itis not necessary that the forms be kept -in place until the concretehas -attained acarrying strength, thus permitting the quick re-use of the forms, obviating the necessity 'and expense of having a large number of l0 such foi-ins onhand. Inaddition', removal at such stage assists the curing of the concrete and facilitatesfthe attainment of its full strength. L

The concrete beams and joists being in 16 proper condition\,\ stiilened metal sheets 10 or other supporting material are placed across the spaces between the joists with the ends ot' the strap irons projecting through such supporting material, these ends having twisted more readily passV through the meshes 'of metal sheathing, where that material is used for supporting a concrete Hoor, the'su'pporting material being securely held to the joists by retaining rods or wires 11 passed through the apertured ends of these strap irons. Concrete may then be poured over the entire surface to any required depth to form the floor, being reinforced. in any preferred manner. Where tlieiods or wires are use to bind the floor supporting mateprial to the j'oists, the poured concrete Hoor envelops the y rods or wires in the ends of the strap irons previously embedded in the joists and makes a close union between the floor and joists. Manifestly flooring of other types may be employed, such as concrete slabs, or wood flooring, the necessary nailing strips for the latter either being embedded in the joists or secured thereto by the strap irons.

In a certain class of concrete construction Vceilings or undercoveiings are unnecessary. In such circumstances it is only necessary in the use of niy invention 'to omit the lathing for the. ceiling, thc other steps in the construction beingtlie same as before described.

'lliejioist-form's used in one building are rcalily adaptable for usc in another not wit standing that the length of joists may diil'ei'. It is only necessary where a shorter joist is to be used to let sections of the joistther use.

andeasily placed in the early stages of so that they will 'sitioning a series of spaced apart base plates forms overlap. This is clearly shown inl Fig. 1.

The advantages of my invention will be' apparent. In the art `to which it relates the desiderata are simplicity and a minimum expense. By my invention but few parts are required and the cost is relatively low because of the frequent re-use to which the forms may be put as -well as to quickness with which forms may be removed for fur- With constructions heretofore in use the removal of the forms has been froml below the floork necessitating additional time and expenseiiicplacing the'lathing'for 65 the ceiling after the forms have been taken down. This is obviated by the use of"my invention where the ceiling lathing isreadillly t e form setting, the lathing being undisturbed when the forms are removed.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of producing a reinforced concrete construction which consists in poupon false work, arranging a ceiling sup.- port thereon, placing spaced forms on said base plates with a portion of said ceilin support inter osed between said' forms'an said plates, p acing reinforcing'material be-` 80 tween pairs of said forms, filling the spaces "between pairs of said forms with cementitious material, and removing said forms upwardly from said `base plates and ceiling support. z 85 2. The method of producing a reinforced concrete construction which consists'in positioning a series of spaced apart base plates upon false work, arrangin a ceiling` support thereon, placing'space forms on said D0 base plates with a portion of saidceiling. support interposed between said forms and said plates, placing reinforcing material between pairs ofsaid forms, filling the spaces between pairs of said forms with cemeiititions material to'formjoists, removing said forms upwardly from said'base plates and ccilingsupport and forming a door over said joists.I

Intestimo'ny whereof I have signed this 100- specification.

' HEWITT L. WELLS. 

